67 year old woman “starved to death” after weight loss surgery

This particular incident from Britain is a reminder for those who are more than eager to go the surgery route to lose weight.

A 67 year old lady in Britain “starved to death” after having a weight loss operation. After undergoing the weight loss surgery the woman’s weight plummeted from 21-stone (294 pounds or 134 kilograms) to eight (112 pounds or 51 kilograms) before doctors said she would not survive.

The woman, a former army nurse, wanted to lose weight so she could go to America to see her daughter and was prescribed a bypass, where the stomach is reduced in size, by her doctor. It is also being said that the surgery would help with her diabetes. Initially reluctant to go for surgey; she went for it eventually.Operated via the keyhole procedure on the NHS at London University Hospital; and was expected to lose around five stones post surgery. But unfortunately the lady lost about two thirds of her pre surgery body weight and breathed her last on May 9.

This is a reminder to all those who are always willing to go for surgery to lose weight. Although the final call to go the surgery way is always that of a doctor; the eagerness of such patients does play some role in doctor prescribing them the surgery too.

No doctor, how much expertise he/she may have in weight loss surgeries; would recommend a surgery to a patient, unless he/she sees clear signs of desperation and reluctance in patient to try other safer methods of weight loss. Doctor knows, surgery always is a mixed bag.

The right approach for any obese person trying to lose weight is to ask the doctor, ways in which slow and permanent life style changes can be made. Asking the doctor, whether some surgical procedure will help lose weight; is similar to showing the doctor a degree of desperation to lose weight, at any cost. In the case of the UK lady, that cost, was her life.

There are many examples, where extremely obese people, with many weight associated aliments, managed to get to their normal weights under the supervision of their physician; by making optimistic and tailor-made changes to their lifestyle. Like, if the doctor told them running is not for them; on doctor’s prescription they started taking regular morning and evening walks. They understood the importance of healthy diet too; and religiously followed the diet their doctor prescribed. In short, rather than allowing desperation of losing weight by next fall, by upcoming friend’s wedding etc. ; these people understood the importance of taking the weight loss journey in a slow and steady manner; making permanent positive changes in their lifestyles; under the able super vision of their doctor(whenever they felt the need).